Gradually withdrawing adult support
At the heart of scaffolding is teachers’ careful attention to
timing the withdrawal of their support. As children increasingly
direct their attention appropriately, persist in challenging
tasks, and use
language to engage
others or seek help,
they increase their
ability to act independently.
As they do,
teachers turn over
more of the regulating
responsibilities to
the children’s control,
while monitoring their
progress and intervening
when necessary to
provide appropriate
support.